As diagrammatically illustrated in the reduced complexity network communication diagram of FIG. 1, terminal adapters, such as that shown at 11, enable digital communication signals, such as ISDN signals, to be interfaced between a customer's digital terminal equipment (DTE) 13 and a network access server 15 for a communication network 17, by adapting the network's serial line rate and coding into those of the connected digital communication port of the DTE. In addition to serving as a conduit for digital data communications, which are typically encapsulated by means of point-to-point protocol (PPP) between the DTE 13 and the network server 15, the terminal adapter 11 typically includes additional ports, such as may be employed for analog (POTS) and digital voice (B1/B2) voice channel communications with telephone devices 14.
Although a conventional terminal adapter is typically controllably configurable by the user (either directly through panel switches, or from the DTE), modifying its parameters via the DTE requires that the terminal adapter be off-line. Moreover, where the additional ports of the terminal adapter are being used for other calls during an internet session, the user of the DTE may wish to be provided with information relating to their use (for example by way of a pop-up window)—something that is not currently available in a conventional terminal adapter.